


Not just the Devil's Brother

by Valdyr



Series: Not Just... [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Deal With the Devil, Dominant Lucifer, Episode: s05e19 Hammer of the Gods, Extremely Dubious Consent, M/M, Possession, Sorry Not Sorry, choosing the lesser evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-01-27 21:52:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valdyr/pseuds/Valdyr
Summary: The archangel brothers finally meet face to face for the first time since Lucifer fell from heaven and the Winchester brothers are caught in between.





	1. A very specific Taste in Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F*ck, that took long! Sorry, guys. But hey, I'm through reading Inferno and Purgatorio (Dante), the Book of Job, a gospel, part of Genesis and various secondary sources. It's really interesting, but looong! (Next are the last part of the Comedia, i.e. Paradiso, then more secondary sources, still Milton, the rest of Genesis and also Revelations.)  
> Still, I'm making better progress with my readings then I thought and hope to be quicker about writing from now on. Can't promise, though. Homework sucks.  
> But anyway: Hope you enjoy!

Trying not to think about it didn't cut it anymore.

Not after that revelation. Not knowing that Gabriel only ever humored him to sleep with his brother Satan's body. So he thought about it non-stop. Not by his own choice, of course. The thoughts kept forcing themselves on him. He couldn't fight off their assault on his mind and soul. Sometimes he actually wished for a life-threating scenario just to get a little reprieve.

Those scenarioes kept coming, of course, considering his lifestyle as a hunter of supernatural creatures. And that was great; but never enough. It only ever lasted so long before they were out of danger again, his nerves calmed and it came back to him like voices in his head. It was driving him mad.

Dean noticed, too. How could he not? Sam became almost permanently silent, buried too deep in his crazy head. And his brother's demeanor worried him, but there was nothing he could do. But even if he could have helped, he wouldn't have realized it. He misunderstood the nature of the problem. He thought Sam's problem was with the looming apocalypse and the devil on his trail. He still didn't know about Sam's history with Gabriel.

And he never would. Not really.

Sometimes Sam considered telling him, but he never did. Sometimes he wanted to eat his gun just to not be haunted by what he had done anymore. But as Lucifer had told him in his dream, killing himself would be in vain, he'd just be resurrected. He would find no rest.

Meeting Lucifer again, this time not in a dream but in reality, was sickening. Now he pictured himself decaying like the devil's current vessel as Gabriel made love to him, calling him brother and wetly kissing every sore. He almost threw up. And then the Colt failed. Ellen and Jo had died for nothing.

 

Dean almost giving himself up to Michael was a wake-up call. He couldn't just retreat into himself. No matter how dearly he longed to crawl into a hole in the ground, curl up and fade. That was not so easily combined with Dean's longing for a night off, of course. It left him restless. But that also led him to realize that they might have a new situation.

When the honeymooners disappeared with a bang and the creep at the front desk de facto outed himself as being in cahoots with the kidnapper, Sam was briefly torn. Part of him loved the chance at a distraction. The other part hated himself for it because the couple was probably dead and he was happy about it. But he ultimately told himself that he was not the reason they had died and he was right to be glad that hunters had noticed their unnatural deaths because that gave the next unlucky people a better chance to be saved.

Except of course, if those next people were them. Like now. Now that they were captured by like a dozen pagan gods who were serving human and considered them their "guests of honor". Oh, they were so screwed. Well, he was distracted now.

But destiny hated him. It had to. Because right then, Gabriel waltzed in with all his showman flair. He killed their voices, though, that would have called his name in their shock, and zapped them off into another room but a moment later. And Sam didn't know what to think. He was still too scared of the room full of gods to not be relieved to be out of it.

However, as far rescues go, he would have preferred someone other than Gabriel to be the one to do it. Like... anyone else. Anyone at all. ...he couldn't exactly think of anyone else who would have been able to do what Gabriel had done, but that didn't matter. And besides, they were not out of it yet. Out of the room and out of the gods' sight, but not out of the building and definitely not out of those monsters' minds. Just like the hostages in the freezer, waiting to be served and eaten.

Whatever plan they were trying to make up, it had to feature getting those out, too. Dean clearly agreed and hoped to kill some monsters, too. But Gabriel knew how to drag them right back down again. It was not even that he was wrong. They were never really lucky. In fact, they were pretty much magnets for bad luck. But that he was right did not make being this close to the archangel again any easier.

He tried his best to focus on what was important, but then Gabriel had to reveal that he had had a thing with Kali. Kali. A goddess of death and destruction, an embodiment of wrath that dances over the field of massacred enemies, drunk on the bloodshed, and wore severed limbs for her skirt and a necklace of skulls, sometimes with a dead-child-earring. That was Gabriel's ex.

With her and the demon blood drinking body of Satan, Gabriel seemed to be showing a very distinct taste. His type of lover was apparently the monster kind. Well, didn't Sam feel much better about himself now? He tried desperately to focus on what needed to be done, but he couldn't.

In the end he was not surprised that they were recaptured and brought back to the big room. He was a bit surprised that the trickster had been seen through, but that fell away when Kali revealed Gabriel's blade. An archangel's blade. ...Angels could be killed with angels' blades... Did that mean that they had a way to kill Lucifer???

For a single moment he was overjoyed. Then Kali stabbed Gabriel in the heart. He watched every millisecond even though his eyes hurt from the bright white light. But not because he enjoyed it. He thought he would, sometimes. But now he just watched it like a deer caught in headlights. And he did not know what to feel.

He was shocked. But was he relieved? He had imagined he would, once it was over and the reminder of his worst mistakes was gone. But in truth... he felt like his own heart had been impaled as well. He was heartbroken? Yes, it felt a bit like that. Gabriel might have had horrid motives, but coming here today had showed that he was not on the devil's side, right? He still cared about people. Right?!

Right or wrong, Sam could still the remember the feeling that the trickster had given him too well to not be hurt by its loss. The soft light, the warmth, the gentle smile, coming whenever he needed him, soothing him and telling him it was okay, forgiving him so readily for the attempt on his life, promising him that his dead brother would be returned to him, letting him take out all that anger and demonic lust on him without a flinch... Loving him like he meant it with no fear he would lose him like Jess.

That was it, right? He had lost another lover. The one he thought could not be killed. The one who always seemed indestructible. The safe one. But he had died as well. Because of them. Because of him. A creature that could have survived everything that they knew of but for his own blade... Seriously, what were the chances? There were only four archangels in existence and they had been there since basically the dawn of time. But Sam had taken one to bed. And so he was dead.

When Dean started talking like a suicidal madman, he hardly listened. He knew this was not the time to retreat into his mind. He was needed. So outwardly he acted like he should, but he was dead inside. And then came the next blow to his heart: Gabriel had tricked them again, he was alive and the blade was fake. He had deserted them and they had nothing to fight the devil with.

He... Oh by all that is unholy, in that moment Sam hated the flightly archangel with a passion.

 

But it appeared that his feelings were meant for the rollercoaster that night. Because Lucifer had found his way to them anyway. They could hear the screaming as he slaughtered gods left and right.

He entered. He killed Baldur without a twitch in the brow and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. And he was terrifying. Kali blasted fire at him. But he just smiled and hit her hard enough to send her flying on her back. In a moment she would be dead, too. And then, Sam imagined, Lucifer would kill Dean and take him. Or maybe he would torture Dean until Sam said yes like Zachariah had tried the other way around.

But he imagined that Satan was better at torturing than Zachariah could ever be. And in that moment, love or hate didn't matter anymore. He prayed for Gabe, because he was the only one who could help.

(And he prayed that it was them that the devil's brother would choose to help.)


	2. Gen 4:8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, it's been a while. But I swear it's not from reading too much. I mean, I did finish Dante, and read Revelations, which now has me constantly picturing Mark Pellegrino as a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. But no, the real problem right now is that I'm moving! (Sort of. I moved room, not house.) 'cause I got bloody mold in one corner. So now we're renovating. All my stuff is in boxes, I'm sleeping in the study and my massive wardrobe, that was older than me by a couple decades at least, has become fire wood, because it was more than five times the size of the door and we had to tear down the paneling behind it and the laminate it was standing on. But my mother tells me my new room will be like a phoenix from the ashes. It's just in the ashes state right now. Cold and gray and void. So sorry, but I'm kinda pissed and so this chapter might turn out a little bit darker than originally intended.  
> About that: Beware the title. Last Warning.

"You okay?"

Dean was sweet. He actually cared if the fire blast'd hit him, when they had so much bigger problems. Like the literal devil in the room. He wanted to scoff, but the question was already being answered for him:

"Not really."

Had he said that? It wasn't his voice. And it came from Dean's direction. Or actually behind him. The brothers looked over stunned to see Gabriel.

"Better late than never, huh?"

He came back? For them?! Sam's heart fluttered and then stuck a bit awkwardly when the archangel he had loved shoved a porno in his brother's lap and told him to guard it with his life. ...WTF?

But then he stood up and with his archangel powers he threw the devil through the double doors, saving Kali, who had been no more than half a second from being killed. The brothers peeked over the scorched table they had found cover behind to look. And what a sight it was. The devil lay crumpled against the hallway wall and GaBriel, whose vessel seemed so small yet held so much, stood upright between him and them, archangel blade in hand and faith in his eyes. And even in the darkest hour, he still held humor in his voice:

"Luci, I'm home."

They could hope again. There was actually hope again! The devil - in the flesh! - shook off his dizziness from the collision, and maybe also some dust the wall had rained on him after he cracked it with his back and head. But there was Gabriel. He helped Kali up with one hand and the humans hurried to get behind him, their eyes still firmly on the devil as he heaved himself up again, still leaning on that wall and not quite so secure anymore as he gazed at his brother. He clearly hadn't seen that coming.

He approached a bit tentatively as Gabriel cautiously set to lead them around him towards the door, giving his older brother a very wide berth. But the devil soon caught himself and obvious displeasure scrubbed the surprise from his face.

"A girl? And a pagan at that? My, little brother, you've fallen even farther than I."

Sam tried very hard not to think about what the devil might have to say if - hopefully 'if', although part of him already suspected that 'when' might be more realistic - he realized that Gabriel had done a human, too. In the ironically named 'biblical' sense. But in the end it did not matter, or so he hoped. They were almost at the door...

And just when that hope seemed close enough to grasp, Lucifer chose to abruptly step back into the door frame, blocking their one escape route. Maybe Gabriel should have thrown him in the other direction. Yeah, that would definitely have been better. If it had been possible. It probably hadn't been an option, though. Surely Gabriel would not have put the devil in their path if he had had a choice, right? After all, he had come back for them. To help them. _Them_ , not his brother. He was a good guy at heart. Surely. Sam could only hope so.

And he did still have the blade which he promptly lifted until it was as close to Lucifer's chin as he could reach without taking another step toward Satan and spoke with absolute certainty, calm and almost a bit aloof:

"Let them go, brother."

But still the devil only grinned, like the wolf to the fenced-in foal that he knows cannot run from his maw:

"Not going all Moses on me, are you, Gabriel? 'Let my people go'?"

"Stop it, Lucifer. There is a conversation that needs to be had. And it it between you and me, not them."

"Why? Do you have something to discuss with me that your little friends are not supposed to hear? Or are you afraid that I will say something about you that you do not want them to know."

And he full-on smirked as he said that and Sam's heart plummetted to the bottom of his stomach. But not simply because of what was said. The worst was that which was not said. Because Gabriel said nothing what so ever to refute the devil's proposition. Was there something indeed? A secret that their ally was keeping from them? A secret that he shared with the devil?

"Move. I don't want to kill you, brother, but if you don't let them leave, I will. Don't do anything rash now. Or I will not hesitate to drive this shiny lil' stick here right through that stuck up nose of yours."

It sounded threatening. And Sam did believe that Gabriel meant it. But he also saw how the youngest archangel had already started trembling under his brother's hard gaze, which was losing its humor now. The devil's shoulders sagged and he seemed something between annoyed and ...almost sad as he spoke:

"It was fun, Gabriel. Always was, with you. But you need to drop this act of yours now. Michael will hear. Unless you've done a one eighty and are kissing _his_ ass no-"

"So let him hear. He gets here I'll shiv his ass, too."

But that was definitely an empty threat now. At least the devil seemed completely convinced of it. He sighed in what honestly looked like grief as his body tensed, readying itself for what was coming, whatever and however bad that might be:

"Gabriel, stop. Remember your place."

"Shut up and go. Or I _will_ do it."

"You won't. You can't. I could, but not you ...Oh brother, please don't make me do this."

"No-one makes us do anything."

But that was not snarky like one might expect. Sam shuddered as he recognized the tone as resigned. What the hell was Gabriel's endgame here? Did he... _want_ Lucifer to attack him? Was he actually daring him to do it? 'cause it sounded far too much like that. And not just to Sam. Lucifer looked hurt, but no less determined. That was bad. So very bad.

"I know you think you're doing the right thing here, little brother. But I know where your heart truly lies. Remember, you learned all your tricks from me."

And with that he launched himself at them jumping throat first into Gabriel's blade, an archangel's blade. Both humans jumped back in fright while Gabriel stood frozen in shock. Was Lucifer suicidal? Had the devil seriously just killed himself? But then the hunters saw.

In Satan's throat the blade that should have killed him flickered and wavered out of existence and a moment later Gabriel's body followed suit. An illusion. It was just an illusion. And Lucifer had known. He had seen through the Trickster's trick. Because why not? Apparently _he_ had taught him. And why wouldn't Sam's lover be not only the devil's little brother, but also his protégé? This was officially a worst case scenario now. Especially considering that the devil was within arm's reach of them now. They had to get out fast!

As he began to move, Sam saw Gabriel in the corner of his eye, or at least another illusion of him. It was rushing towards them, but by then it was already too late. Lucifer, the lightbringer was fast as lightning struck and so close he just grabbed Kali and Dean by their necks and turned in a blink, the movement knocking Sam away and to the ground with his brother's body. And there he held them both before himself like shields.

Gabriel stopped short and stared in confliction as the devil held two lives in his hands, ready to extinguish them by snapping their necks or smiting them with his power in a moment's notice. And damn, he looked pissed.

"It's over there. And in my hand. So, Gabriel? It is abundantly clear that you care, but tell me honestly: Did you seriously sully yourself by fornicating with this thing?"

He didn't answer. He just gulped. And that was answer enough for Lucifer. He trembled so hard with rage that Sam could see it from his position. If he squinted he might have thought to see steam emanating from the devil's skin, but he sure saw several more pieces of it flake off. The fallen archangel was so furious he was almost burning through his vessel under their eyes. But why? Sam had thought this it was just a Christian supremacy thing, but this... This looked personal.

And then Satan answered the question he would never have imagined anyone asking:

"You had no right. You shalt never give to another what is MINE!"

Both Dean and Kali wheezed in his hands as his grip and their necks tightened and Sam desperately tried not to interpret that in the way his brain tried to. There were other possible explanations, right? Something along the lines of 'No one screws with my baby brother'. Right? But Lucifer was not mad at Kali. Well, he probably was, but right now the majority of his rage was directed at Gabriel...

And then there was a sob. Sam hardly recognized it. He turned as if under water to look where it had come from. Gabriel. The angel's eyes glittered like liquid gold from tears he dared not shed and his slight frame was was rattled and rocked by the power of his sobs. And worst of all, his blade hung loosely from his lowered hand. He had no fight in him anymore.

What on earth or in heaven had happened between them?

"Am I? Am I still yours?"

WTF?

"You will never cease to be mine, Gabriel."

WTF?!!!

"I didn't come for you. I never tried... t-to free you. You must have been so alone in that dark cold pit."

"I was. And do not doubt that you will pay for abandoning me. Oh so dearly. But don't you ever think, not even for a single second, that I would _ever_ forsake my claim on you. You are mine and mine alone, for ever and ever."

And with that he sent a surge of raw power through the so called goddess that had thought she could dally with what was his and get away with it. In the blink of an eye she turned into nothing more but a red mist of dead cells, painting them all scarlet with her vaporized blood.

And then the devil smiled. Covered in blood and with his skin still flaking off he gave his little brother a tiny smile that softened his face until it was hard to see the evil fallen angel that he was in there anymore. Gabriel answered with one, too. But his was much sadder as he took in the state of his brother's vessel. Lucifer did not even need to follow the direction of his eyes to know what he was looking at.

"You're right. I need my new meat."

The only solace for Sam was that Gabriel looked away in obvious shame. But there was no hint of hope anymore, not since Gabriel's breakdown, no doubt that Sam could expect no help from him.

 

Gabriel had fought a battle with himself and he had lost it. He still liked humanity and he wanted to keep it. Truly. Perhaps Lucifer would indulge him and let him keep some of them at least. But he could no longer pretend that he had it in himself to hurt his beloved big brother, his mentor, the closest thing he had ever had to a caring father, his...

If Lucifer was still willing to take him back after everything that  he had done to him and everything that he had neglected to do for him, then he just had to cling to that. He was a child again and wanted nothing more than to hide under Lucifer's soft white wings and feel the warm light of the embrace of his love. It hurt him that Sam had to be sacrificed for that. But he had only ever been a substitute. ...Hadn't he?

If he was being entirely honest, he didn't actually know. When he had first picked Sam, it had been to try to fill the hole that the loss of his brother had left in his heart. But since? Having gotten to know him? He could only watch as Lucifer leaned down to Sam and whispered a sugary greeting before asking the big question and getting the expected 'No! That will never happen!' for an answer.

But Lucifer was a patient creature. Sometimes. And very creative. When he had the calm to think before he acted. And right now he also had Sam's brother. Gabriel shuddered as he heard his brother describe what he could do to Sam's. He didn't just do it, of course. Or hurt Sam physically. In his experience physical pain distracted from mental pain. And for a fierce hunter like Sam, mental pain was the way to go.

So Lucifer presented his most bloodlusty of smiles, licking his lips over some descriptions and carefully controlled his voice to become the perfect mix of cold, velvety and husky. He ejected his 't's and 'd's, clacked his 'k's and 'g's and hissed every 's' and sometimes shaped his vowels on the in-breath, too. It made him sound like something between the weather itself and some great and dangerous beast. His voice filled the entire air and became everything anyone could hear. He became everything.

Gabriel could already see how it entranced Sam. He knew what it felt like to be the target of that all-consuming focus of Lucifer's. It was his greatest seduction technique. He could become his victim's entire world. It overwhelmed even the strongest. And while Gabriel didn't know how much of Lucifer's glowing and fading and glowing and fading and altogether hypnotizing ruby eyes Sam could still see through the veil of his streaming tears, he heard just the same colorful explanations.

Right now, for example, Lucifer informed his surely soom vessel, that the sinew which connected the heel with the muscle of the calf was far enough from the fibula and yet strong enough that you could cut the skin and tissue around them and lead a chain, a cuff or a hook between them, by which the entire body could be held up in the air, up side down of course. Then he asked if he should demonstrate it by hanging Dean from the ceiling like that. Maybe then skin him as well to show Sam all the other fascinating sinews of mammal anatomy.

And once the skin was off, he offered, he could make it into a nice leather book for Sam to remember. Considering that skin was rather difficult to write on, he suggested that they should use a soldering iron instead of a pen. And since it was stretched so nicely right now while it still spanned across Dean's body, maybe they should just start writing before they severed skin and flesh. That would be more practical, said Lucifer.

Sam was almost fainting from imagined horror. And Gabriel understood. He knew well when Lucifer was worst. His rages were harmful, but it was when he was calm and calculating like this that he was at his worst. Angry was bad, but the worst would always be just this cruel. He could not listen any longer.

But the movement as he raised his hands to block his ears distracted Sam from Satan's dark mesmerism. And with new strength, born of a desperate will to resist, he shouted in the devil's face. He shouted 'No!' and again and again and ever again until the devil was overtaken by rage. His patience fled him and with a mad hiss like a giant snake he plunged his free hand into Dean's chest, bringing forth a bloodcurdling scream that silenced Sam.

Lucifer was touching Dean's soul. Or rather groping it. His vessel continued to wither as they looked, the power he gained from the contact approaching too much to bear, but in his rage he did not care while SAm forgot how to breathe. His brother was bucking and writhing, seizing in unknown agony.

Until he exploded into a red mist. 

Sam was too shocked to think for a moment. But so was Lucifer. In fact he was so suprised he promptly lost his grip on the soul in his hand and before their eyes it ascended. All eyes followed it until it passed through the ceiling. And then the devil's narrowed to slits and oh so slowly he turned.

"Gabriel... care to explain to me what just happened here?"

And Sam's shock was greater than it had ever been. This was not the devil's work? I-it was Gabriel's? But hopefully he would understand. Hopefully he would see that it was best. For him.

"I'm sorry, Sam. But I know my brother. With the things he would have done to yours... to end Dean's suffering before your eyes with an early death was the greatest mercy I could give him and you both."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was Genesis chapter 4, vers 8. (The first) Murder.  
> Also you might have noticed that I changed the chapter count. I split the usual main chapter in three, this being the first part, because Dean's death might have too much of an impact to be just somewhere inside a larger chapter. The second part, now chapter three, will focus on Luci wanting Sam's body (as his vessel, mind you) and the now fourth chapter will feature angelic brothers being not very brotherly before an Epilogue in Heaven.
> 
> I can try to finish the next one by Sunday, but don't count on it. I still have wallpaper on three walls that needs to get off and replaced. It'll definitely still be this month, though.
> 
> (Btw: Not to gross you out, but for accuracy's sake: I don't know if the sinew thing actually works on humans, never tried that one, but I've seen it done many times with roe deer, fallow deer and wild boars. They are no longer alive for that, though. It's just perfect for disemboweling and hiding them.)


	3. His Protégé

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,  
> I am three fourths through Paradise Lost, my walls are fine, thanks to a levelling compound my floor doesn't look like it was hit with a burst of WW1 artillery fire anymore and I finally got this chapter done. Hope you enjoy!

"You're sorry? Oh, you should be. But tell me, little brother, why are you sorry to Sam?"

He gulped and Sam would have been terrified at the thought that Lucifer might kill Gabriel as well, if he was not too shocked to process what was happening. But he was. Because Dean was dead. Dead. Exploded. Smitten. Gone. They could bring him back, though... right? Angels could do that, bring people back from the dead. They had brought Dean back before. And these were no simple angels either. They were archangels. They could bring Dean back for sure. But would they?

"Why do you care about Sam so much as to feel sorry for killing his brother?"

And that was a very dangerous question. It even seeped through Sam's shock when his subconscious mind realized that someone else might be about to die and alerted his consciousness to the situation. If Lucifer was to figure out that they had... well, done the deed? He had been so very furious at Gabriel for sleeping with Kali and he smitten her. How would he react to them? His little brother and his one true vessel?

Neither of them wanted to find out. But that needed quick thinking to prevent it. Good thing Gabriel was a veteran trickster.

"Why do I care, you ask? Why care? Why _don't_ you?! How _can_ you not care, Lucifer? You of all people?! He is _your_ vessel! How do you not care?"

Pure accusation laid in his stare and for once Lucifer shied away, averting his eyes. But it lasted for a moment only.

"Yes, he should be. And it pains me what he has been made to go through. I would know. It's my story that was forced on him, _my_ pain repeated."

That, strangely, seemed genuine. For the first time the Lucifer he saw with his wake eyes reminded him of the Lucifer who had visited him in his dreams. Sad, apologetic, almost bleak. But he did not believe this version. He couldn't trust it, not after his earlier fury and how he had tortured him with just his voice and own imagination.

"If you actually meant that, you wouldn't have t-"

Too late he saw Gabriel frantically shaking his head, motioning for him to shut the hell up. But by then he had already spoken and Lucifer had heard. In the blink of an eye the calm and sad was gone and replaced by new anger, the devil's face contorting into a vicious snarl as he hissed like a viper:

"Because you insult me! I can understand that you don't want me to possess you. I get it, I really do. And I can take a little rejection. Hell, I'd probably do the same if our places were reversed, rebel against what some overlord wants from me. That's me exactly. _Us_. But you're not doing it by standing your ground like I did, are you? No, you would rather crawl back to your brother who commands you and calls you a freak crying than to fight for yourself. You would do anything for his forgiveness, wouldn't you? You are an insult to me, Sam, because you act like pathetic little spineless worm for him, even now weeping when you should rejoice, finally free!"

He hadn't realized it before the mention, but he did have tears in his eyes. And he really should have kept out of it. He was miserable and had needlessly incurred Satan's wrath. Seething now the devil turned to him fully and, preparing to say more, made to approach with heavy, forceful steps, when suddenly Gabriel jumped between them and stopped him with both hands on his upper arms, jerking his full attention toward himself:

"Why? Why does that irritate you so much? 'cause it reminds you of yourself?"

Devil and vessel both were frozen with shock at such audacity, but before Lucifer could respond or in any other way react to the daring thesis, Gabriel had already added more:

"Cut the boy some slack, damn it, he just lost his brother! He's heartbroken! You can understand that, right? You'd be, too; If you were in his position; Wouldn't you? If you lost Michael?"

"I _hate_ Michael. Of course I would n-"

"Do you?"

"Could you not interrupt me? It's getting old fast and I am not in a patient mood right now."

"Maybe, I can try. But answer me, do you really hate Michael?"

It seemed like an odd question, the answer seemingly so obvious. But even from his point of view Sam could see how deeply Gabriel stared into the devil's eyes and how lost those had become. The faces of the angels were only inches apart anymore as Gabriel subtly pulled his brother closer with his grip on him, while Lucifer let his arms hang, not responding to the contact, but not pulling his limbs away either. And when Lucifer next spoke, Sam could not identify any specific emotion in it, certainly none of that supposed hate.

"I want to destroy him."

"Honestly?"

They were so close that they had to be breathing each other's breaths by then, when Gabriel asked for the last and most emphatic time:

"Is that truly what you want, my brilliant morningstar? To destroy our big brother?"

And finally he could no longer bear the weight of those golden eyes and icy blue ones were lowered among labored breathing as he finally moved. Lucifer pulled his little brother into his chest with one hand at his lower back and the other around the back of his head, letting the younger rest his face against the crook of his neck, while he breathed in the scent of his hair.

Cinnamon. Of course. With a hint of caramel. It forced his lips to take the shape of a smile against his will. He was supposed to be tougher than this, damn it! But what else could he do with a loving brother in his arms after so many millennia of nothing but cold hard solitude in the cage? He took a long moment of simply enjoying all the beauty of the moment, not thinking about Michael or the apocalypse or his reluctant vessel or anything other than the two of them. But he knew that he could not deny reality forever.

"No, I don't want that. But he will kill me if I don't. And I will never let that happen."

Gariel tensed in his arms, but he knew the truth of that statement just as well as he did.

"So what do you really want?"

And he didn't even have to think about that:

"Home. I want heaven. I miss it so much."

It was hard to admit and he could feel his crumbling vessel's eyes water, but that was the great truth. Once it was spoken, Gabriel lightly turned to peek back at Sam and the hunter just knew from that look in his eyes that this question was meant for him to hear. And the tone of Gabriel's voice confirmed that he knew the answer. He wanted Lucifer to answer it for Sam's sake only:

"You want heaven? You mean you want to conquer and rule it?"

"No! No, I don't want anything to do with that atrocity that they call 'heaven' now. I want _heaven_. Our heaven. I want us and everything to be like it used to. Before all this."

"Before your fall?"

"Before the humans. When I could still love my father and my big brother without hating myself for it. When there was no hate in the world and no betrayal between us, nothing to drive us apart. When we were family and that still meant something. Before father put the humans between us, telling us to love those others more. Like anyone can feel true, genuine love for someone just because they're told to do so... That's not love. Not like ours. It is a mockery of what he had. He made a mockery of ours hearts. Oh Gabriel, I hate him so much for what he did to us. Why couldn't he just let things be? We were so happy. Then."

Sam's heart shook with emotions as he heard those heartbroken wails from someone he had pegged as heartless. How very wrong he had been. When Lucifer had spoken of love before, especially in Carthage... it never seemed sincere. Not like this. It had been too discolored with his current hate whenever he spoke to humans, the very embodiments of the wedge that his father had driven between him and his brothers - from his point of view.

But now... Now Sam knew why Gabriel had asked despite knowing the answer, why he had wanted him to hear what he had known Lucifer would say. Because now Sam knew what Gabriel still saw in his brother. Now he knew what it felt like to have sympathy for the devil. Now that he saw their intimate embrace and heard the devil's love in the agony that wrecked his desperate voice, he... He hoped? He could no longer stand to think of him as evil? He hated Michael and moreso God for what they had done to him? He wanted to make him better? He did not know anymore. One of those probably, or maybe all of them.

But could he help Lucifer? How? The devil still insisted on killing Michael and that would be the apocalypse! But even wthout that, Lucifer hated humanity and wanted to wipe it out. How could they reconcile that?

Gabriel seemed to guess his thoughts and tensed again. Oh boy, that was going to be a difficult disagreement to mediate. But Lucifer felt the change and gently pulled him back just enough to look his little brother in the eyes:

"Gabriel? Are you alright?"

"I, yeah. I would like that, too. Very much so. It's just..."

"Impossible, I know. Nothing and no-one can undo all that has changed since. Not even father. It will never be the same again. It can be good again, with you, even here on earth, but never the same."

"I'd like things to be good with you, too. I've missed family. And you most of all."

"Your words would be very welcome, Gabriel if only your tone did not sound like you are about to say 'but'."

"But... what about the humans?"

"What about them?"

"Will you let them live?"

"By dad, no! Why on earth would I keep them?"

"Why not?! What have they done to deserve your hatred?"

"You are not seriously asking that question, are you?"

"It's not their fault that father made them or that he expected us to love them most!"

"But it is their fault that they are destroying his creation! Earth! His last piece of perfection. This beauty that they take for granted! Have you not seen what they have done to her? What they are still doing to her? They cut her down and hollow her out and then sully her grounds and waters with their twisted creations and choke the very air! Have you counted, Gabriel? Have you counted how many species they have driven to extinction? And don't give me the constant-flux-speech. I know species die and new ones distinguish themselves constantly. I have already discounted those. What I am talking about is parasitism. They are a pest, brother. Earth needs to be cleansed of them to survive!"

"'Forgive them for they know not what they do.' Remember?"

"Don't preach to me, little brother. Look around you. _They_ are the monsters. The worst there are."

"Sorry, but I can't agree with you on that. I _like_ them."

"How can you?"

"How? You wanna know why I like humans?! Because they are better than us!"

"But they... Have you seen them?!"

"I have. But I have seen us, too. Have you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Think, Lucifer. Take a good, hard look and then think critically. Just one example: Dean was horrible to Sam, but then he came back for him. Sam was horrible to Dean as well, but they still found each other again. Those two have gone through abandonment and insult, through fighting each other to the point of blood, through lies on both sides, through so much... but they reconciled each time. Each time they forgave each other and hugged it out, literally or just metaphorically, but still each time they reunited because they are brothers and they love each other. Their father told Dean to kill Sam if he couldn't save him. But did he? No, he rather sold his soul to a demon in order to bring Sam back from the dead. He is a great big brother. Pretty amazing, actually. Luci, he defied their father for his little brother. And now think of Michael in comparison. Do you still think that they aren't better than us?"

Silence followed as Lucifer thought about that, eyes off to the side as he lost himself in his thoughts. But he was not the only one. Gabriel had a way with words... Now Sam imagined what it would have been like if Dean had acted like Michael had. If, when their father had told him to kill him, Dean had taken it to heart. What would that have felt like? To look his brother in the eye as he lay beneath him, wounded and bleeding, and receive no sympathy, just the monotone voice of his once beloved brother telling him that father had ordered it before he received the final blow?

Sam had always hated it when Dean had insisted on doing something just because their father had wanted it so even when it made no sense whatsoever, when Dean had refused to question any decision that had their father's name on it. But at last, when it had really mattered, Dean had stood by him. He had changed. Michael hadn't. And even at the broad subject of wiping out humanity, he found himself sympathizing with Satan again. Until it was threatened by his next words:

"You are right about Michael. But that does not make right what they are doing to this paradise that they were given, what they have made of it. They need to go. I see no reason why they should be spared."

He said it with determination and a finality Sam did not manage to find doubt in or a loophole of any kind, no matter how hard he tried. And Gabriel heard the same and huffed in exasperation:

"Well, maybe a good reason would be that your vessel won't accept you if you insist on exterminating his species!"

"He will. It's his destiny."

"Yeah, he's also not a fan of that. And after it's made me miserable for as long as I can remember and I recently had a good talking-to, neither am I."

They stared at each other with no more words spoken for so long afterwards that Sam started thinking that it might continue until long after his death. Lucifer did not want humanity to continue living, at least on earth. Gabriel did not want it to die out. The was no consensus in sight.

The first hint at the oncoming changing lay with Gabriel then, while Lucifer firmly stood by his unwavering opinion. It was in the way he leaned his body off the side and then the other like he couldn't stand still for that long. It was in how he licked his lips, weeting them in preparation for speech. Clearly he was mulling something over in his head.

With all the creativity of a trickster's mind he was working on the solution for his problem. The problem that Lucifer needed his true vessel because the substitute was falling apart where they stood but that true vessel was only accessible if he spared humanity and that was something that he stubbornly refused to do.

 It took some time, but finally Gabriel froze. He had something. He shot a look at Sam, gauging, assessing him with his eyes. He was testing his idea in his mind. And apparently it passed the test.

"Sorry, Sammy. Nothing personal, but this is angel business."

What was? He was just about to ask when Gabriel promptly started talking utterly unintelligably. At least for Sam. Lucifer looked to be listening intently. Of course he would understand it. On second thought it sounded like Enochian. They were talking over his head now. Well, talking was one world. It seemed like quite a serious argument, but not negstively so. They were looking so stern - whch was an odd look on Gabriel - because they were both extremely concentrated.

Sam tried to catch words he might have heard before, but they were speaking so fast he couldn't even be sure where their words started and ended. It was just one long row of syllables. That was frustrating. So he tried reading their faces instead. It looked like... I looked like Lucifer was considering his little with a lot more open-minded than before. And it looked like Gabriel was feeling triumphant.

And it looked like the trickster he had loved had just turned out of Lucifer's embrace, come to him instead and kneeled down right in front of him with a gentle smile:

"Hey, Samy."

"Hi. What did you talk about?"

"You. Saying yes."

"I won't."

"Why?"

"B-because I don't want that. Humanity-"

"We'll get to that. Is it the only reason?"

"No?"

"What else is there?"

"Uhm, I also don't want that for myself. Cas' vessel said being possessed by an angel was a horrible experience and his current one looks horrible, too."

"Castiel didn't care to shield his vessel then. Lucifer wouldn't do that to you. And his current vessel was never suited for him, that's it look like that. You won't face the same problems."

"I-I also generally don't want to be possessed. I was possessed by a demon once and it was hell to be unable to stop it while it used my body to hurt people."

"Fair point. But you won't be alone in this. I'm here for you. I can't control Lucifer, obviously, but I do have a say. And once you guys warm up to each other, I'm sure he will start respect your opinions, too."

"That's not entirely reassuring."

"Maybe not, but it might be worth it."

"Worth what?"

"The advantages of you saying yes."

"How can their possibly any advantages to me letting the literal devil possess me?"

"You have devoted your entire life to protecting people at your own cost, haven't you?"

"..yes? Where are you going with this?"

"Sam I won't say that Lucifer is a good guy. He has his downsides. He's had them since before your kind was created. But that was always okay, because the upsides more than compensated for that. And the same is especially true now. We are offering you a deal: Agree to hold him in your body and we will end the apocalypse without the all-destructive duel. No more horsemen, we'll destroy Pestilence and bury Death back where Luci got him from. And especially: No more demons. Say yes and we will vanquish all demons from earth."

"What? But... And the humans?"

"Luci has agreed to never even injure a single one."

"H-how? I mean... How can you expect me to believe that?"

"Easy. He needs you and that's the condition. And you know I like you guys."

"But... what if he breaks his word after he has me?"

"Then I'll tell you how you can cast an angel out."

"That's-"

"Possible? Yes. We just don't like people knowing. But you can expel him from your body, even after years of holding him. It's your body and it always will be."

He could barely believe it. Lucifer had agreed to this? And he would- well, Crowley had anticipated that the devil wanted to wipe out his kind, too. ...A world without demons. Just thinking about it made his heart beat faster. Was there any hunter who would disagree with that? He kind of doubted that anything could be this good, but the idea was so overwhelming that he hardly knew where to look for a possible catch. So, he first needed to get his bearings back. That done, he went over the offer again and finally had only one more thing to edge in:

"Lucifer has to say it. I want to hear it from him."

Gabriel turned with a grin and the devil did not even roll his eyes. He said with absolute clarity:

"I, called Lucifer and Satan, the second archangel, solemnly swear that I will harm no human being, no man, woman or child, born or unborn, for as long as I am permitted to possess my true vessel, Samuel 'Sam' Winchester, that I will end the apocalypse without a duel with my brother Michael as it would violate the aforementioned and that I will, within one year of receiving his initial permission, vanquish all demons from earth and within a week of his permission destroy the apocalyptic rider Pestilence with the removal of ring and bury the entity known as Death in such a way that he can not free himself again, nor be freed by his people, the Grim Reapers."

After he had spoken this oath he waited in silence, while sam stared. He had meant a promise and was given an oath. An actual oath. This was so unreal. He half expected to wake up, but even then angels could enter dreams.

Eventuelly, though, Satan tired of his shocked state and asked, suppressing the biting tone he would have otherwise used for a more collected one:

"Do I have your permission to possess you, Sam?"

He gulped, but he wanted that for the world. Gabriel had to be a miracle worker to get the devil to agree to this. But now it was up to him. He could make that reality. It just needed one thing:

"Yes."

 

And the great tempter, the seducer and deceiver, purred in pride over the work of his protégé.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Don't? Let me know!  
> And maybe you can even guess what might go wrong in the next chapter and how Gabriel got Lucifer to agree to not kill any humans.  
> :)


	4. Trinity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!  
> Really sorry for the wait, but my mother set me a deadline on my room. Which I met with half a day to spare! Meaning it's all done now and I have moved back in. And then put everything into writing this to get it done today.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> (Although, on second thought... It might be kind of weird if you enjoyed this. But this is the SPN family, so never mind!)

Ice was not cold enough. No, it felt more like liquid nitrogen running down his throat when the devil entered him, freezing every cell of him.

And then he was inside. The pain washed away as Sam's body gained the archangel's resistence to his own aura of frost, but his stomach sank so fast it should be called free fall and he could not shake off the feeling that he had just made the worst mistake possible.

Not that it felt that bad now. But that was just the problem. It felt amazing. Especially to that side of him that had always urged him to drink the demon blood. It felt exhilerating. He felt the power. Lucifer's power. A power that survived the Colt. The power of an archangel. The power of a creature second only to God Himself. He felt like he could come just from existing like this.

But it was not his power, was it? No, it wasn't. Like a chuckle inside his own skull confirmed.

'Not really, of course, but if you have any wish, just say it. I can make all your dreams come true.'

Yeah, he kinda doubted that. But before he could really get into it, movement attracted his attention. It was barely more than a twitch at first, but from a source he would never have expected: The empty vessel on the floor. Or not so empty, apparently. The human who had first said yes to the devil was still alive?

'Of course. Why wouldn't Nick be alive?'

'Perhaps because he looks like he waltzed through Chernobyl!'

'Oh that? That's superficial. Besides, he's got to look the part! In fact he might need a deepe- wait, you're right. That plan is overturned now with our deal... I guess he just became redundant then. Gabriel should put him out of his misery.'

'WAIT!'

'What?'

'No killing people.'

'I wasn't going to kill him. I was going to have Gabriel do it.'

'You can't order another to kill people, either.'

'Okay, one: I wasn't going to order him, I was going to ask him. And two: I swore I wouldn't do it, but my oath can't bind my brother. He is still free to kill whoever he likes.'

Betrayal seared through Sam's soul so acidic even the archangel shivered from the sensation. Why was Gabriel such a personal topic for his vessel? Maybe he should look through Sam's memories of their past interactions... He was clearly missing something here. But before he did that, his vessel bit back:

'Killing by proxy is still killing. And you swore not to do that.'

'Arguable, but I concede. Without supernatural help he has less than a day anyway.'

'So help him.'

'I agreed to nothing of the sort.'

'But he is dying because of you.'

'Because of actions of mine that took place before our deal.'

'You son of a bitch.'

'A son of God, so yes, I agree with that term.'

'You don't care at all, do you?'

'For him? No. For a time I needed him, then I was going to utilize what was a hand, but now he is obsolete. So no, he is just another useless human to me now.'

'Utilize...? What were you going to use him for? What was your plan?'

'Aw, Sammy, don't you know Revelations? Daddy spilled the plan so long ago. What's missing.'

'I-I don't know. ...trumpets? Wormwood! The star that falls to poison the water. Wait... water! Blood! Water turning to blood is still missing. ...earthquakes? There is so much in there, I don't know what you mean!'

'The Unholy Trinity, dummy!'

'The beasts.'

'Exactly. Chapter 13. He was going to be the first beast: _And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast._ I thought about zapping him onto some cruise ship, once he was sufficiently close to death, and the acting the bystander, helping him stand and calling for help. Then, when someone would film it with those practical little devices of yours, I would heal him and cry miracle. Trust me, it would have had a million hits in no time at all once on the internet.'

Sam shuddered in his head as he envisioned it. For someone who had been stuck in a cage in hell for most of the development of human society, he knew them scarily well. That would have gone viral.

'I haven't found my second beast yet, though I am informed that one was created. Those idiot demons lost it. But then I guess I don't need that one anymore, either.'

The second beast... um... Oh.. _And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon_ (13:11).

'In other words: Looks innocent like God's little lamb Jesus, but is really more big bad me.'

'The Antichrist.'

'Yup. Hey, Sam, your soul feels awfully ...anxious. Do you know something I don't?'

Caught. Sam's feelings were unequivocal and his defenses could not withstand the devil in his head. He found the memory of Jesse. But with relief Sam noted that that got him no closer to the Cambion's whereabouts, seeing as he had no idea about those, either.

'You won't ever find him. And there will be no Unholy Trinity.'

'I guess. But there is no Holy Trinity, either, so that's fair.'

'...The father, the son and the holy spirit? ...Is that... a thing? I mean I know that saying Christo forces demons to reveal themselves, but...none of the angels have ever mentioned Jesus despite his role in Revelations, so thought maybe it's a bad topic.'

'Sort of. He was the final proof.'

'Proof of what?'

But Lucifer did not answer, he just turned the head that they now shared toward Gabriel.

"Would you like to talk about Jesus, brother?"

Sam could see the younger angel's jaws grinding at the question. So it was a sore topic and that was why they ignored it.

"Was he really the son of God?"

"Everything that lives is a child to Him, who He is all our creator."

"No platitudes, Gabe. I'm talking to you as an eye witness here. Tell me. Tell me what millions have fought about for tens of centuries. Was he...?"

"An immaculate conception? No. God would have had to possess Mary for that and... well, her combusted ashes couldn't have carried a child to term, now could they?"

"But what was he?"

"He was God on Earth. That's where the confusion happened. I told the boy that he was God's flesh and blood and that tends to mean descendents, but not in his case."

"So you mean... what exactly?"

"I mean when people say that he was human, they are not wrong. He was. At first. But neither are those that say he was divine. Because he was, ever since. He was like you, Sam. And the opposite."

"How was he both? And how was he like me? Gabriel, I have the literal devil in me, so I think I can know now, if you would just-"

"You said it, Sam. You were made for the devil, as his equal in human form. His meatsuit. You are his _flesh_ , Sam."

"Oh my god. You mean...?"

"I mean that I did not just announce his birth. I stayed. And I made him ready."

"Y-you fed him your... your blood."

"The blood of an archangel. It was the only way, Sam. You needed the oldest of bloodlines combined and demon blood just to hold the devil. What do you think it takes to hold God?"

"He has a... Jesus was God's vessel?"

"His true vessel and human counterpart. His equal in human form. Yes."

"Wow. That's-"

"A lot to take in? I know, but you asked."

"But why does God even need a vessel?"

"He doesn't. He can do what he wants without it, too. But you can't. Not since you fell. With that first sin humanity forfeited the right to behold Him. Now even the true face of an angel will burn out your eyes. The sight of God would scorch everyone for hundreds of miles in every direction down to the bone. His vessel was meant for your sake, not His. A shield of flesh to protect you from the brightness of his glory."

"So it really was God."

"No."

"But you just said so!"

"I said he was made for that purpose. He was born and bred for that and angels guarded him for decades and we taught him how to use the gifts of our blood. And his faith was unbreakable. Like ours. Right until they nailed him to the cross. We thought our father would come then to teach his flock and to deliver them. But the days passed, eventually Jesus died and he was buried still empty."

"God didn't come."

"No. When the body disappeared and people said that he lived again our hope was rekindled. But we never found him. That was a good sign of course, because we had never taught the boy how to hide and his success in doing so seemed to imply that God had come for him after all. But he could also have lost faith in our empty promises and figured it out himself. Even us angels don't know all about Jesus Christ. All we know is ...to say it like that: God is gone and the devil takes hold."

Emotions not his own peaked inside him and Sam didn't know whom he hated more. Lucifer for being a monster or God for making it and poking it and then letting it rampage unchecked. Probably God. Because he knew that Lucifer hid another side that loved and lost and cried in pain. But did God?

It was sort of a rhetorical question of course, since no-one could really know the answer, but he had to admit: He had somewhat expected at least a comment from the devil in his head. But he was strangely silent. Sam had no idea how to navigate his head to look for someone else in there, but as he called out it just sort of happened. He felt the devil and he felt that he was immersed in something. A thought? It was something of his for sure, but what?

'Lucifer?'

'Gabe.'

'No, it's Sam.

'I mean, Sam, you called him _Gabe_ , not _Gabriel_. When you were emotional earlier.'

He was getting a bad feeling now.

'So?'

'I am the only one who ever called him _Gabe_. Not Raphael, not Michael, not father, even his beloved fledglings only called him _Brother Gabie_ when they shortened his name. The really tiny and naive ones _Papa Gabie_. Never _Gabe_. So I checked.'

He turned what he had a little so Sam could see what it was and even though he did not really breathe in his mind, he choked at the sight. It was a memory from when he was high. In it he held Gabriel bent over a little dresser by a motel room door. They both still wore their clothes, but their pants were lowered just enough and he was fucking the angel so hard it banged his head against the wall.

'Care to explain what I am seeing here?'

'Shit. Um...'

'Because it looks an awful lot like you had sex with my brother.'

'I-I-...ugh, I didn't know? And I was not in my right mind, I swear! It was the demon blood!'

'Oh that's how this happened? Really?'

'...Yes?'

'Sorry, Sam, but I can't trust you on that. How about we check?'

'No!'

But already the devil was digging and clawing his way through Sam's defenses, prospecting for the start of their relationship. He found more and more violent encounters between his struggling vessel and his dearest brother and then he found gentle ones.

What he saw now almost shocked him more. And he searched frantically and found ever more. Sam cried inside in fear of what was coming when all his desperate attempts to stop Lucifer were in vain. No iron will could hold him off now that he was already under his skin.

And under his skin he felt the bubbling of emotions that were just cooking from a calm sea to a hot steam that curled and sped up until it turned into whirlwind, a burning tornado of rage. An archangel's rage. Sam had seen it in Lucifer's eyes, but now he felt what it was like.

His heart beat so fast it was vibrating like the casing of a toiling engine that was going into overdrive, his blood shot through his veins like a storm surge and while his core ran so hot he thought he should be melting by now, his skin turned to ice and froze the air around him.

'Please, Lucifer, we are sorry. W-what are you going to do now?'

'This does not concern you, human.'

But he was greatly concerned. Because apparently Lucifer blamed Gabriel and now Sam feared for his life.

'I won't kill him. I will just teach him a lesson that he clearly needs to learn.'

With that he turned his attention outward and his focus zeroed in on the younger archangel, who could feel that something was up and shied away a bit. But he did not run. From from Lucifer.

"Is everything alright?"

"Not really, little brother. I admit I was a bit miffed to find out that you had sex with my vessel. But part of me could understand. Withdrawal is a bitch and you had nothing closer to the real thing. I can understand that you wanted what we had even when I was beyond your reach."

Fuck, Sam thought. 'What we had'? There was no unfortunate hrasing or ambiguity here. Lucifer was not so mad about Gabriel's lovelife because he was defensive of his little brother in a big brotherly way. He was jealous. When he had called Gabriel his, he meant his bitch.

"I first suspected that you had replaced me, but I could calm my wrath again. You were so happy to still be mine. You just took a temporary substitute, but would never replace me. Would you?"

"Never! Not in all eternity, my great and beautiful lightbringer."

"Good."

"We're good?"

"Not by any means, _Gabe_. I saw it. You did so much more than just letting my vessel fuck you like I alone should be allowed to do."

"Lucifer?"

His tone was questioning and Sam did wonder what had enraged the devil so when looking at their couplings before his addiction, but shying further away with hunched shoulders and downcast eyes Gabriel clearly knew what Lucifer had a problem with. What he had done that was so bad.

"You couldn't be content with sleeping wih my vessel, could you?"

"I'm sorry."

"You had to take that chance."

"It's not like that."

"While you could you simply had to OWN IT!"

"It was a human, Luci, just a human, not you!"

"It was _my body_ , Gabe. And now every time you look at me you can tell yourself 'I had that ass, it probably still leakes my come'. You were never meant for that, Gabriel. You are our youngest, you take care of the kids. By hell, even the vessel you took is tiny. You were meant to be taken, brother mine. You were always meant to be taken by me. And if you don't know that, I think you need to be reminded of your place."

His tone had gone icy. The threat was imminent. But just then a rush of bliss washed through him, touching every inch of his soul like feather-light caress. And feather was quite fitting, too. He felt lighter, his feet barely touched the ground anymore, while his back was sweetly tickled at the height of his shoulderblades and the shadows on the ground confirmed his suspicion: Lucifer had unfurled his wings.

Part of him was terrified by what that might mean for Gabriel, but the sensation barely reached his consciousness through the elation that bleed into him from the devil's grace. He could feel a soft breeze as he spread his wings wide. He had the room to spread them and a vessel that could bear him pushing the mighty entities out through his flesh without bursting!

Looking back up he saw that Gabriel's wings were unfurled, too. And he felt that Lucifer was not very positive about that.

"You would run from me, Gabriel? I know that you're faster, flighty little thing that you are, but surely you must know that you can't keep it up? I would catch you. Not today perhaps and not tomorrow. But you couldn't run forever and I have always had more stamina. I would catch you and it would only be much worse for you."

"I know. But that doesn't matter. I would never run from you, Lucifer."

"You ran before."

"Never as often as I ran to you. And never again. Not from you."

So Gabriel lowered his wings, almost laying them on the floor, in obvious submission.

"I know my place."

"Except when you conveniently forget it."

"I didn-"

"Don't lie to me, brother. Never ever lie to me, Gabriel, I've heard too many false promises. And I know you.I know you did it on purpose."

"I did. And I know it was futile- I mean wrong. I just you to be mine, too. And he was not you, but... it was a version of you I could hold, I could visit whenever I wanted. A you that needed me, too. "

"I'm not yours. I'm no-one's. Not anymore. And no-one will ever pin me down again. I am the devil now, no longer God's pet or Michael's. I am the king of Hell and the father of demons, a god in my own right. And I own you."

He did not even blink in that time, so fast did Lucifer's wings carry him onto Gabriel. And when he did, his eyes abruptly took the size of saucers as he realized how Satan intended to teach his little brother. He grabbed him and vaporized his clothes as he pushed him to the ground, towering above him with his wings raised high in a display of dominance.

Lucifer intended to rape Gabriel as punishment for topping his vessel.

'No! Stop it! You can't do that!'

'Hush, Sammy, this is deserved and also none of your business.'

'No, I refuse. And it is my business, you fucking son of a bitch! It is when you are using my body to hurt my-'

'Your what? Friend? Or fucktoy?'

'I-'

'Stow your sanctimony, my little blood junkie. You were hardly nicer with no intent to punish him.'

That stung like spider bite, paralysing his mind with regrets, but a mere moment later he was back to fight the devil. He had to stop him! Overcome him. Prevent what he intended. But he was powrless to still his body as it turned the youngest archangel on his back and laid him out like roast polutry before tearing down the clothes hindering its own raging erection.

He tried everything to stop it. But he was no match for the devil. He was nothing but a prisoner in his own head, watching the horror with no chance to help. Lucifer was not even slowed by his struggles. He just wedged his stolen body between his weaker brother's naked legs and dragged him up his thighs by his hips. Shudders of excitement at the feel of skin on skin coursed through their body, disgusting Sam more.

Not only was Gabriel about to be raped and he couldn't stop and not only was it his body that would wreck him, he was always receiving pleasure from this. From the rape that he was forced to watch through the perspective of the rapist. He wanted to kill himself.

He wanted to go back. To never have said yes. Lucifer only did this because of what he had seen in Sam's head. It was his fault that this was happening. He was trigger, tool and beneficiary to this abhorrent crime. And he couldn't stop it. God he wanted Lucifer to be back in the the cage. He wished he'd never let him out. He wished he's never let him in, either. He- Wait a second...

But his thought was suddenly disrupted by blinding pleasure of the tightest ever squeeze around his long, maximally engorged cock as it was thrust inside the younger angel, who promptly howled in pain loud enough to shake the building.

He had to stop it. But he could! Lucifer needed a vessel, if he was without it Gabriel would be safe. And he had not broken his oath, but Gabriel had said that he could tell him how to expel Lucifer if need be. He knew the solution! Now Sam just had to ask- But his mouth refused to obey, instead of speaking it captured Gabriel's lips, biting until they bled and thrust his tongue deep into the younger's mouth, mimicking the movements of his hips.

And laughter sounded through his head.

'You monster, he-'

'Sam, Sam, so ungrateful. And inattentive. i know you like it-'

'I don't! Never! He's in agony!'

'You did, Sam. With less reason. And you still don't get it.'

'I will never understand how you can do something like this to your own little brother.'

'You will. Just look. Look at him and feel him!'

Sam tried to refuse, but it was his body getting squeezed so nicely, milking him, his tongue tasing Gabriel's blood and the saliva of his own tongue coiling around his. It was his back being intensely scratched by ten nails holding him close. It were his hips wrapped in strong thighs, the heels digging into his ass to spur him on like a race horse.

'He wouldn't tell you how to cast me out, not even if you could ask, not even if you begged. Don't you see? I would never rape my own little brother. He might not have liked the manner, but he will always welcome me inside him. Your yes is the only wavering one here.'

It was true, he saw it now. Gabriel might be held down, but only as a gesture Lucifer liked. A display of dominance. But no true force. It wasn't needed. Gabriel submitted completely, ready and willing to take everything his brother chose to give him. Such wrathful punishment...

Except it wasn't. Fighting the pleasure he had not even noticed it, but as it had intensified with Gabriel getting more and more responsive and kissing back and rocking on the cock that was impaling him, the devil's rage had been blended with and finally drowned out by his pleasure.

Gabriel was tugging him closer now and Lucifer only moaned, all his anger chased away by his passion. He held his brother closr to his chest and laid his wings over his, rubbing down on them to make the feathers catch on each other and entangle. He wanted them to interlock to be as close to his beloved brother as he could be, so separating would hurt them both.

Now Sam only felt used. Lucifer had forced sex, but Gabriel had been okay with it. But had anyone bothered to ask him? No. He didn't matter. Like when Gabriel had picked Sam for sex as nothing but a temporary substitude for his brother.

'Don't be like that, Sam. You are a good kid and we both like you. But you have to understand that we have a history together. You are new and strange and our feelings toward you are still quite mixed. But you'll get to know us, with time, and then you will stop acting weird and we will finally be able to take you serious. I'm sure. But maybe, you should have an advance to speed that up.'

And the sight before his eyes was washed away by a flood of memories. Countless memories of a time before anyone actually counted time. Memories of an absent father that Gabriel barely knew, even when he saw him. Memories of solitude.

Memories of Michael, heartlessly commanding and expecting things of them because his own aching heart that only a very young Lucifer had ever known was locked away by his desperate desire to look strong and grown up for his father and earn his pride.

Memories od Raphael who his disdain whenever Gabriel came 'whining' about his misfortune like he was the only one who missed their father and craved more of him.

And memories of Lucifer. Lucifer, who was loved by their father and by Michael, but sought more attention than that to feed his growing pride. Lucifer, who was the only one to pay attention even to little Gabriel. For good or bad, he was there.

And that was when Sam understood why Gabriel would allow anything. God had really messed his kids up. Gabriel was grateful for any abuse from Lucifer, because even when his big brother hurt him, that was more than anyone else ever did.

It made him impossibly sad for Gabriel and his eyes that he shared with Lucifer glistened with tears. For the first time, his own emotions overpowered Lucifer's and the devil slowed, becoming softer and gentler and leading the pair to a bittersweet climax full of emotions.

In the afterglow, Gabriel cuddled up into Lucifer and they held each other tight and safe. No-one said anything, but they didn't need to anyway. All three could bask in the moment and the feeling of togetherness.

 

At last they wre stirred by movement. The half-dead vessel had heaved up on its knees by now, but Gabriel smited him with only a look from Lucifer. Sam didn't mind, though. It was probably a mercy considering his state and the angels' earlier prognosis.

"There goes the trinity. And with it all the plans for the apocalypse."

"Aw, Luci, don't be lonely. You have us. A trinity of our own, as it happens. The one who fell, one who jumped and one who rose. Because we are definitely taking you out to fly, little earthling."

"Good idea. He agrees. Hev denies it, but he agrees."

"Of course. But he get you, kid. You're part of us now. Part of our trinity. ...How do we call it, though?"

"Our trinity."

"That's unimaginative."

"Fine. We are the trinity of Sam, Gabriel and Lucifer."

"Meh."

"Hm... hm... I noticed the humans like to blend names when they mean several things in one. What about... Sabrifer?"

"Love it!"

He was so adorable. That childlike joy over something as simple as a name. Sam felt the same, but he also felt what Lucifer thought next. That intent. Lucifer did love him, despite his strange manner of showing that and his obsession with authority. He might want to be be king unquestioned, but just as much did he want Gabriel to rule with him, just one step lower, as his queen.

Once he had promised his little brother the world. Now he was ready to deliver.

The next day at Stull cemetery, Michael screamed when he died, his own archangel blade twisted in his hand to pierce his throat by the power of Satan after he his own attack was thwarted by the shock of another archangel's blade thrust in his loin from behind.

And the world was Lucifer's. It was his to give to whomever he chose to grace with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?
> 
> (The epilogue will likely be rather short since I moved some things that fit better like this, but therefore also done sooner.)


	5. The Apocalypse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to end this series on this note. Did I go too far before? You could say that, too. I just don't what to think or how to react when no-one says anything.  
> But that doesn't matter anymore. Because Devil's Bargain happened. Who watched it knows what I mean and who didn't should really get on that before the spoiler flood swallows them whole, because the 13. episode of the 13. season of Supernatural is absolutely unbelievable. I had lost hope that that we would ever see this day. But our dreams have come true and I cannot be sad anymore.  
> Oh, and: Hail to the king.

He'd just set off another firework and Sammy's innocent laughter sounded through the clearing to fill him with joy, when a deafening bang drowned it out and the ground shook like a leaf beneath his feet.

He lost his balance, but still jumped to do the single most important thing on his mind a a situation such as this: To protect Sammy.

He pushed him to the ground and cowered over him, covering him, on his fours like a human shield as the quakes first got even worse before they finally lessened and held his protective position until everything was back to normal, the ground still and firm like it should be.

He breathed in relief, but that was quickly stolen away with his breath.

"Another one, Dean! Come on, let's light another one!"

And the hunter gulped at the realization that 'Sammy' had not even noticed the unnaturally extensive earthquake. Something was wrong. Why the hell did something always have to be wrong? Was it too much to ask that he should enjoy just one good night's sleep with a nice drea instead of the usual nightmares?

But then it came back to him. The same thing, not even so long ago.

_"This isn't a dream."_

_"Then what is it?"_

_"Deep down you already know."_

_"I'm dead."_

It was heaven. He was in heaven, again. But how...? And then he remembered the Elysian Fields, how prophetic the name now seemed to him. He remembered all the pagan gods, Gabriel... and Lucifer. He remembered the devil getting him and then nothing. He had lost. But Sam? Sam was still down there! He was- He needed help, he had to!

So Dean had to find a way to save him. And from then on, the Winchester tried everything to get out. He remembered the Axis Mundi from last time and found it and followed it, shouting out to the angels for help. It felt like hours and he went through many a heaven ignored, but finally, when his throat was so sore he was sure if would be bleeding if he still had an actual body with blood, there was the rustle of wings behind him.

Fed up after all that time he started speaking before he began to turn:

"Now listen to me, you son of a- ...Castiel?"

The angel, his friend, whom he had thought to have lost, stood there with an expression like a dead man. Except Dean, who was a dead man, held more fire in him that than this wretched shell. He looked so utterly defeated.

"You are supposed to be quiet."

"What?!"

"I was sent here to quiet you."

"Oh, and now you do what those sons of bitches tell you to again? What happened to the free will?"

"It failed."

"...What do you mean? What happened? Cas?"

"Yur brother made a deal with the devil. He said yes."

"What? No, he- he wouldn't. He can't. After he... how? Why? Wait a second, you said he made a deal, right? For what? What could he possibly think was worth saying yes to Satan?! ...Was it about me?"

He remembered his own deal well enough. For Sam's life. He would never have thought possible that he of all people could be made to do such a thing. Selling himself to a demon... But when Sam had died, all his hatred for them and all his years of training as a hunter simply lost their meaning. Maybe it had been the same for Sam?

"No, it was not about you."

"But what then?!"

"Satan seduced him exactly like he has always seduces everyone. He finds out what they want most in the world and offers it to them. But his gifts are as treacherous as he is."

That made Dean think. Especially since Cas did not even seem angry with Sam. Just defeated.

"What did he want?"

"What every hunter would want. A world free of monsters. Demons and all. And that he would never hurt a human."

"..But that's... good? What went wrong?"

Now Cas was a bit angry: "What do you think, Dean? He made a deal with Lucifer, everything went wrong. Michael is dead and the serpent owns the world.""

"Wait, Michael is dead?! So..."

"Yes. All is lost. There is no-one left to fight Lucifer and win."

"But who runs heaven now?"

"Raphael."

"The Raphael who killed you? That Raphael?!"

"Yes."

"Okay, well I guess I don't have to like the guy. It's the fight that counts now."

And as he said that Cas got the strangest expression on his face. He tilted hs head, looked up and squinted a bit, like he was extremely confused.

"Cas?"

"Oh, I see."

"You see what?"

"I understand that you are under the impression that Raphael is leading a resistance that is still fighting Lucifer."

"Well, duh. I mean we're in heaven and I don't see any demons here. And even if Crowley was right and Lucifer never meant to lead them to heaven and would rather kill them all; Raphael is in charge around here, not Lucifer; you said it yourself.

"The fight is over, Dean. Raphael can only still control heaven because of his deal."

...

...

..."Sorry, I must have heard that wrong."

"That is unlikely. The hearing conditions have not changed since the-"

"It's a figure of speech, Cas, I mean what the hell did you just say to me?"

"I mentioned Raphael's deal."

"With Lucifer?"

"Yes. I am not happy about this, either. But I feel compelled to admit that it was the lesser evil."

"I refuse to believe that a deal wi-"

"Satan invaded heaven, Dean! You must haven heard it when he broke through the gates. When he shattered all defenses."

"Massive bang and earthquakes after? Yeah, hard to miss. But I still thought you had some fight in you. You're supposed to be the host of heaven, for god's sake, a freaking army of angels!"

"Yes, heaven had a great army. And then Lucifer 'nuked' it. Their words, not mine. Dean, I really don't like Raphael, as you should well know, but I have to agree with him on this. The earth was already lost. He did the best he could to save what could still be saved: Heaven. The race of angels and the delivered souls of all the milennia of life on earth."

"... And what did the devil want in return?"

The angel only cast his eyes down in shame.

"Alright. You know what? I'd like to discuss this with the s.o.b. who made that deal. Take me to Raphael."

Castiel reacted at once and the rejection was clear on his lips, but then he froze, closed his mouth again and tipped his finger to Dean's forehead to take him away.

 

"You still won't remember where your loyalty belongs, Castiel, to bring this human to me?"

Well, Raphael was still a dick. But Castiel countered with easy confidence, secretly secure in the knowledge that the archangel would not dare to harm him while Gabriel and Sam liked him and together had enough sway over Lucifer to get him to smite Raphael if he did. It would't take much anyway. Lucifer hated Raphael and only left heaven to him of all angels to avoid rebellions that might bother him, while his next younger brother was rational enough to be predictable.

"He is not just any human."

"No, he is the human whose rejection of Michael was the first step to our defeat."

"Hey, I tried to prevent this. No yes, no duel, right?"

"But there was a yes and a duel."

"What? Who?"

"The alternative. John Winchesters other son."

"Adam?!"

"He failed. But then, he had little chance. Lucifer broke the rules."

"Oh, did he? The devil didn't play by your rules? Wow, what a surprise. What'd he do? Tie Michael's shoelaces under the table?"

"He accepted help from a third party."

"Who the hell would help the devil to end the world?"

"Gabriel, of course."

"What? No, he helped us. I mean he tried. He fought the devil? I-I didn't expect this. I thought he might run, but... help Lucifer?"

But Raphael only snorted in derision, more arrogant than ven the angel who fell due to his pride.

"That was hardly a shock. Gabriel has always seen only the best in our rotten brother. Even in his destructions. Hence the nickname he gave him: Lucifer. That means lightbringer, in case yo-"

"I know what Lucifer means. ...That's not his real name?"

"Of course not. His true name was erased from the book of life when he betrayed our father. Only his title Satan and nicknames like Lucifer remain to him."

"And 'Lucifer' was Gabriel's invention...? Something good from something bad?"

"Well, this is hardly his first temper tantrum. Before the creation of life, he would smash planets together when he was angry and Gabriel adored him only more when the thus freed space dust accumulated and ignited into stars. He would say that our brother made light by forging stars from planets, so he called him lightbringer."

Okaaay, Dean gulped. Lucifer smashed entire planets... great. Now for the first time, the Winchester was really glad for what he had seen when Zachariah sent him into the future. That Lucifer, in Sam's body, had declared his love for earth. He hated only humans. Thank god, because otherwise their own planet would probably be nothing but space dust by now.

But then Raphael continued:

"Even now Gabriel spins tales about their beautiful future, ignoring that the war is lost, all because of Sam."

Dean was shocked at the brusque accusation, but Castiel instantly jumped to Sam's defense:

"He was deceived, but he set good conditions. Better than most would have thought of."

"But still, he underestimated his enemy. You forget, as he did, that Lucifer does not lie because he does not need to. He weaves his words so expertly that he can make anyone believe anything even without any technical lies, just by omitting certain parts of the truth. Sam condemned us with his idiocy all the same."

"It was you who sealed the apocalypse! Your deal, Raphael! I try to see the best in it - because what could I do about it? - but you chose not to fight."

"I only contained the damage done."

"Yeah, about that-"

"Don't even address that which you have no concept in your ape brain to understand."

"Well, I do! Cas said you made a deal with the devil. What did he ask."

"I don't answer to you."

"Actually, Raphael, you should. You know that Lucifer spared you out of convenience only. It would hardly take much convincing for him to go back on that. After all, you are speaking to Sam's brother here."

Dean had not expected Castiel to answer for him and certainly not with something like that, but he really liked the look on Raphael's face afterwards. His jaws would have made grindstones jealous and his eyes burned with impotent hate.

"You want to know the price of heaven? The end of mankind."

"But I thought of Sam's conditions was-"

"Like I said: Lucifer has a talent for fooling people without lying. He would never tolerate humans in his world. That he is not allowed to kill them does not save their race."

"Explain."

"But you know. Humans don't need to be killed. They die on their own if you have a little patience. Their kind has survived so far because "it is so quick to replace its losses, but without that..."

"Wha- Without what? What are you talking about?"

"I am tellung you that what Lucifer and Gabriel demanded in exchange for their oath that neither they nor any descendents of them will ever take residence in heaven was the execution of a spell. Heaven's armory holds countless unused artefacts and spells."

"And this one...?"

"It aimed at the fertility of mankind and set it to zero. Humanity will die out within the century as no new children can ever be conceived again."

"Fucking hell."

"Soon enough Lucifer and Gabriel will have the world to themselves, to repopulate."

"Pardon? ...Repopulate? Two guys? I mean angels?"

"Gabriel is half pagan at this point and a skilled shapeshifter, he can bear children."

"Now I'm feeling a bit sick. Those two brothers, one of which is in _my brother_ , wanna make babies?"

"Of course, no-one knows what their offspring will be as two archangels in vessels have never procreated. But even if they are not immortal, the two have cleared out hell, destroying all demonkind, except for one, called Cain, for older reasons; that one is locked inside Lucifer's cage for safety."

That had Dean speechless. Hell was empty and all those sons of bitches were dead?

"Will that be all?"

Probably, he didn't know what else to say, so Castiel pulled him away.

 

And on the way back, they promptly ran into Ash, who excitedly led them to the reunion party. Ellen, Jo with her father, Pamela, his own mother and father, soon Bobby, too. They were all there, together in heaven. Safe forever.

And as humanity on earth fell apart, all the deserving souls were delivered to heaven and the bad souls destroyed by the devil to keep hell clean. The very earth was cleansed and its cities overgrown as the trinity on earth repopulated the world from the tiniest communities onwards, the gods of that new race.

That was the apocalypse and why everyone wanted it. It was never the end, but the transition to a new beginning.


End file.
